Welcome To Nome
by American Halfbreed
Summary: In the winter of 1923, a hero is born. But like all great heroes, his life will drastically change and his strength will be tested.
1. Chapter 1: White One

**Welcome To Nome**

_Chapter 1: White One_

**Seaward Peninsula, Alaska (1923)**

Silence filled the Alaskan wilderness as snow slowly fell from the darkened sky. Covered by three feet of snow, in a small dugout cavern, laid a tired white she-wolf. The female had just returned from chasing down two small rabbits, whose remains now lay in front of her along with two of her three pups. The boys wrestled around in the small den, playfully pinning each other down and trying to see who could remain standing the longest.

The she-wolf smiled as she watched her sons played; she was grateful that they were growing strong and had adapted well to the subfreezing temperatures. Her smile faltered however, as she looked down at her side. Nuzzled against her snowy white fur was a female pup; the oldest of the litter, but unlike her brothers, still fragile and weak. Her eyelids twitched as she dreamed and the pup moved closer into her mother.

_What ails you little one?_ the she-wolf thought with dismay. _Why is it that you stay so frail?_

The she-wolf lifted her head and looked at her two sons. It could not be the way she was raised; the she-wolf had made sure to raise all three of her pups the same way. They all received the same amount of nourishment and warmth. What was it then that made her daughter so delicate? Surely she could not have inherited it; both her parents had been some of the strongest of their kind.

The she-wolf broke out of her pondering as she heard a loud yelp come from one of her pups. She saw one of them flipped the other onto his back; the smaller one pinned down while the one on top showed his teeth and growled playfully.

"That's enough Takoma," the she-wolf said sternly.

The gray colored pup lowered his ears and slowly got off his brother.

"We were just playing," he said slinking towards his mother.

The smaller wolf pup rolled over to his feet and lunged at his brother.

"Gotcha!" he yelled as he tackled Takoma to the floor.

The two once again began rolling around in the den, playful growls and excited yelps coming from both. The she-wolf remained silent until she had endured enough and growled. The two brothers immediately stopped and lowered their ears. The she-wolf's growl faded away and she smiled softly to comfort her children. She knew they were only playing, but it was late and she was tired. The two brothers curled up next to their sister and fell asleep, the she-wolf watching over them as they dreamed.

Minutes slowly passed and new light shined down on the snow-covered forest as the moon broke through the disappearing clouds. Still awake in her small earth cavern, the she-wolf gave out a soft growl of frustration at her inability to fall asleep. Her eyes drifted down as she felt one of her pups move. Takoma, the middle born and largest of his siblings, kicked out his paws while exposing his teeth in a tiny snarl.

_Even in his dreams he fights_, the she-wolf thought with a smile.

With one touch of her muzzle, Takoma's movements stopped and the dreaming pup relaxed into a peaceful sleep. The she-wolf eyed her pups carefully, making sure each one was close enough to her stomach were the most warmth was. She used her restlessness as an opportunity to compare each of her pups, not that she favored one over the other. She simply wanted to guess how each would grow up.

First of course, she looked at her daughter: Aurora. Named for the way her fur shimmered in the moonlight, Aurora's fur color was the same as her mother's, but she lacked the strong, powerful build that her brother's had. Her eyes were the color of ice crystals and often sparkled when she was immensely happy. Again, the she-wolf sighed as she looked at her daughter, afraid that she would not survive the winter cold but hopeful that she would grow strong.

Next was Takoma. Out of all her children, he seemed to have the most wolf's blood in him. His dark gray coat stuck out all along his body, and his large paws hinted that he would grow to be quite big. Even his demeanor was that of an Alpha, as he often growled and showed his puppy teeth when he was playing with his siblings.

Moving to her third and last pup, a smile grew on the she-wolf's face as she stared at him. The brown pup had been the last born and the smallest out of the three. Nevertheless, he possessed more energy than either one and loved to spend endless hours playing in the den. His markings were almost identical to Takoma's, while his appearance favored more of a dog than a wolf.

"Balto," she whispered quietly.

The wolf pup stirred and looked up at his mother, his soft puppy eyes barely open. The she-wolf smiled and gave her son a quick lick before he lay back down and fell asleep.

_He looks so much like his father_, the she-wolf thought as she stared at the brown wolf pup.

The she-wolf gazed up at the den's entrance as the memory of her mate flowed back into her, a mixture of joy and heartache swirling up inside her. The she-wolf thought about when she first encountered her mate, the memory still fresh as though it only took place a few of hours ago.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

_**Seaward Peninsula, Alaska (1922)**_

_A white she-wolf hid in the snow, her eyes scanning a small herd of deer that lay in a field in front of her. So fortunate was she for having her unique fur color, as it allowed herself to come so much closer to her prey than any other wolf could have. The she-wolf smiled as she spotted her target, a large elderly male that lay a few feet away from the rest of the herd. Such an unwise decision for an animal that has lived so long in the wilderness. _

_The female smiled to herself as she saw her opportunity arise, and she rushed out of her hiding spot and howled, startling the sleeping herd and sending every one of them into a state of panic. The elderly male rose up quickly despite its waning strength, and ran off in a direction different from the herd, another unwise decision for the otherwise experienced herd member. The she-wolf followed and closed in on her prey, the deer's eyes widening as she approached closer to its side. _

_Finally, with a lunge the she-wolf latched her jaws around the deer's neck and held tight until the male had finally exhausted itself. With the rest of her strength she pulled the male down and ripped out his throat. Exhilaration filled the she-wolf's heart as she stood over her kill, proud that she had taken down something so large without the help of a pack. As she prepared to enjoy her victory, the she-wolf heard a sharp click and spun around, a human hunter standing above on a ledge with his rifle pointing at her. Next to the hunter stood a dog, a large, muscular husky with brown and tan fur._

_For a moment the she-wolf felt only foolishness, ashamed that she had let herself be snuck up upon. Quickly though this feeling past, and instead anger and resent grew. Crouching over her kill, the she-wolf growled and stared at her two attackers, determined to defend her kill. _

_The hunter paused and lowered his rifle slightly, surprised that the female had not tried to flee. The husky as well was taken slightly aback by the female, never had he come across someone so beautiful and so fearless. The hunter nodded his head silently before standing up, his rifle lowered to the ground as he stared at the white she-wolf._

"_Fearless are you to travel alone white one, I pray to the spirits that our paths cross again someday." _

_With that the hunter slung his rifle over his shoulder and walked away, his husky travelling right by his side as they left the female to her kill. The she-wolf waited to see if the human or the dog would return; she knew that humans were keen on using trickery to their advantage. When they did not however, she returned her attention to her kill, gulping down as much meat as she could before continuing on with her journey. _

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

The she-wolf rested her head on the ground and let out a quiet whine, her heart anxiously waiting for her mate to return. She knew of course, that he never would be able to return to her. Both were aware of the risk that they had taken, and once the village leader had realized that she was pregnant with his husky's pups, he casted her out from his village and chased her into the wilderness.

The she-wolf thought her former packmates would offer refuge for herself and her mate, but the wolves rejected and exiled her, disgusted that she had chosen to live a life with humans and had chosen a dog to be her mate. Barely escaping with their lives, the two fled deep into the Alaskan forest. With her former friends and family intent on killing her and her pups, the she-wolf's only comfort was that her mate was still with her.

One fateful morning however, once the she-wolf's pregnancy had forced her to stop traveling, her mate had gone out to find food and did not return. The she-wolf yearned to call out to him but knew that she could not risk her enemies finding her. Hungry, afraid, and alone; the she-wolf dug out a small den, which she now rested in, and waited. Days passed and still her mate did not return. Finally, the time had come and the she-wolf gave birth to the three hybrid pups which now lay against her side.

A tear rolled down the she-wolf's face as she broke out of her mental state. Her mate was not going to return to her. She was on her own; she alone must protect her pups. The she wolf let out a sigh and tried once again to fall asleep. With one eye fixed on the entrance of the den, she lingered in case anything would change. Finally, her exhaustion took hold of her and she fell into a deep sleep.


	2. Chapter 2: Penance

Chapter Two: Penance

**Seaward Peninsula, Alaska (Three Weeks Later)**

"I'm bored," Takoma said irritably laying his head between his paws. "Let's go chase something."

"Mom said to stay put until she returns," replied Aurora.

The black and gray wolf pup stuck his tongue out at his sister before focusing his attention to his brother. The brown wolf pup sat anxiously by the entrance of the den, his eyes focused outside for any signs of his mother.

"When do you think she'll be back?" Balto asked sadly.

"I don't know but she better come soon," Takoma said rolling over. "I'm hungry enough to eat an entire elk."

Balto smiled weakly at his brother before focusing his attention back outside, his ears slightly lowered. Aurora's face scrunched up in a frown as she walked over and swatted the back of Takoma's head with her paw.

"Ow, what was that-"

"Apologize," the white pup whispered sternly.

Takoma frowned. "Why? What did I say?"

"You hurt his feelings."

"No I didn't," Takoma said defensively. "He's just sad that mom's gone out again."

"Shh!"

The two wolf pups stared at their brother, but Balto did not seem to be paying attention. His mind was too preoccupied with his mother. Every time she left to go hunt, Balto felt as though it would be the last time he would ever see her; and every time she returned, his heart would leap for joy and he would feel safe again.

"Go make him feel better," Aurora said turning her attention back to Takoma.

"Why?"

"Because I said so," the white pup said swatting Takoma behind the head again. "Now go, before I tell mom that you left the den yesterday during nap time."

The black and gray pup let out a growl and gave his sister an evil look, before rubbing his head and making his way over to the den entrance. He didn't mind apologizing to Balto; he just didn't like be told what to do.

"Hey," Takoma said sitting down next to Balto. "Sorry for sounding rude."

Balto kept looking outside. "It's okay."

"You know she's coming back right? She just went out to go get us food."

"I know…" Balto said letting out a sigh. "I just don't like it when she leaves, that's all."

"Yeah me neither, it's not fair that we have to stay here while she's out hunting," Takoma said putting his head between his paws again.

A smile tugged on Balto's face but he didn't say anything. He simply continued to stare out of the den and waited for their mother to return, Takoma digging into the dirt and amusing himself with a worm. Farther back in the den, Balto could hear his sister fast asleep. After a while, the sky had started to darken and still the white she-wolf had not returned.

"Has she come back yet?" Aurora asked waking up from her nap.

"No," Takoma growled as his stomach let out a rumble. "And my stomach feels like it's on fire."

Balto gave out a soft whimper. "What if she's in trouble?"

"We should go look for her," Takoma said jumping up.

"No," Aurora said walking up to her brothers, her voice confident and stern. "Mom said to stay put until she got back."

"Something's wrong though, she never takes this long to get food. What if she needs our help?"

Takoma rushed out the last part as he saw his sister opening her mouth to speak. The white pup tried to think of something to say but finally sighed and lowered her ears. Takoma then turned his attention to Balto, who lowered his gaze and stared aimlessly at the ground. The black pup took his brother's silence in agreement and walked out of the den with a determined face. Aurora let out another sigh and followed her brother's lead, her head turning back as she saw Balto still sitting on the earthen floor.

"C'mon Balto, we need to stick together."

The brown pup looked up at his sister and nodded, his ears slightly lowered as he followed her outside. He was afraid of what was outside, but he was even more afraid of the thought of their mother being hurt. Outside he saw Aurora staring quietly into the forest, her ears pricked up as she tried to listen for their mother.

"Where's Takoma?"

"Down here," the black wolf pup responded.

Balto looked down and saw his brother waiting for him at the bottom of a small hill. After watching his sister go first, Balto carefully made his way down and walked up beside Takoma, a small smile of triumph on his face. His smile faded however, as he looked around the forest. The sun was already hanging low in the sky, which meant they only had a few minutes before dark.

"Now what?" Balto asked looking around.

"We hunt," Takoma said taking the lead.

Balto gave a confused look to Aurora, who rolled her eyes and followed Takoma. The trio walked around the snowy hill and into the bushes, peeking under rocks and scattered leaves. Every once in a while Takoma would shout and run off suddenly, Aurora and Balto rushing after him to only discover that it was just a small mouse.

While it didn't help them find their mother, Takoma's discoveries helped keep their bodies warm and their stomach's full. Aurora's strength also seemed to be increasing as she no longer trailed behind Balto when they ran. Still, the longer they wandered through the forest, the further they drifted away from the den and into the unknown.

"Hey, Takoma!" Balto yelled as he and Aurora raced after their brother. "Wait up!"

The trio had just discovered a series of large wolf-like paw prints in the snow and Takoma was certain that they had been made by their mother. The black pup dove into a small group of bushes and disappeared, Aurora shouting back to Balto to hurry up before vanishing into the shrub. Balto put in a small burst of speed and darted through, hopeful that they had finally found her.

"Is she okay?" Balto asked as he saw Aurora and Takoma on the other side.

The two pups didn't answer but instead looked up, Takoma's tail pointed stiff and Aurora's ears lowered. Balto stared confusedly at his siblings before looking up and gasped, his stomach feeling like it had just dropped out of his body. Standing in front of them, with the barrel of his hunting rifle facing the three pups, was a human.

"Run," Takoma said quietly, his eyes focused on the human.

Balto and Aurora attempted to run back into the bushes but the human saw what they were doing and made a grab for both. Balto squealed as he felt the human's tight grip on his fur, his sister slipping through and darting into the thicket. Takoma growled and bit down on the human's hand, his sharp puppy teeth poking small holes in the human's skin.

The hunter yelled and released the brown pup, shaking his hand and smacking Takoma off. Balto watched in fear as he saw Takoma land roughly in the snow, the hunter lifting up his rifle. Takoma shook his head and looked up, the barrel of the hunting rifle pointing directly at him. The black wolf pup growled defensively and the hunter lowered his eyebrows as he pulled the trigger.

"No!" Balto yelled as he ran in front of his brother.

His eyes closed and Balto cringed as he heard the loud crackle of the gun go off. Balto remained crouched over his brother for a few seconds before realizing that he wasn't dead. Opening his eyes, he saw the human struggling to get up with a large white wolf on top of him, snapping its jaws and trying to reach the human's neck.

"Mom?" Balto asked as he watched the wolf and human struggle.

"C'mon Balto we have to go!" Takoma said pulling his fur.

The two wolf pups ran through the bushes and looked around. The fallen sun had left the entire area shrouded in darkness, dark gray clouds blocking out the moon and the stars. Not only were they lost, but Aurora was nowhere to be found.

"What do we do?" Balto asked fearfully.

"Takoma! Balto!"

Balto looked up and saw another white wolf running towards him, a small white pup following close behind.

"Mom!" the two pups cried out as they rushed towards the she-wolf.

"Are you two hurt?" the she-wolf said worriedly.

Before either one could answer, a loud crackle sounded ripped through the air and the white she-wolf crouched low to the ground, covering her three pups underneath her. Snarls and growls echoed throughout the forest until finally all was still. Balto trembled as his mother slowly rose off him and his siblings. He looked to his left and saw Takoma crouched low in a fighting stance, his tail stiff and erect. Behind him was Aurora, who was trembling just as much as Balto was.

"Aniu," a deep voice growled.

Balto looked up and saw a huge gray wolf standing in front of him, his cold blue eyes focused on the white she-wolf.

"Masca."

"We lost two wolves for saving your pups life," the gray wolf said circling. Balto saw eight or nine wolves come in from the bushes and surround them.

The she-wolf crouched lower to the ground, her eyes flashing from side to side. "I thought you wanted to kill my pups."

"We do," Masca said maliciously. "But we hate humans more than we hate you. Now that we have killed it, we can focus back on your betrayal."

The wolves surrounding the she-wolf growled and moved closer in. Balto looked around and saw that there was no way out. Aniu looked at her pups and then back at her former Alpha.

"The know nothing, can they not just be one of us?"

The wolf gave a look of disgust. "You ask me to help you raise them? To take them in, where they will poison our blood lines and spawn more abominations? Never."

"Then let me raise them," the white she-wolf pleaded. "Let us leave and we will never come near your territory again."

The she-wolf's voice had become increasingly more desperate, the surrounding pack drawing closer to her flanks and her pups. Her ears lowered and she stared at her former Alpha, her eyes full of fear and hopefulness. The female's stare awoke something in Masca that he had not felt for many months, a forgotten memory that he had shared once with her. The memory faded however as he looked down and saw her three pups, a bitter reminder of what was stolen from him.

"Two of my wolves died defending your spawn," Masca said venomously. "I will let you to leave, but at the cost of two of your pups."

The she-wolf felt her heart shatter and looked down at her pups. A tear rolled down her face as she looked at each one's faces, their eyes so full of fear and confusion. How could she possibly pick two of her pup's to die?

"I cannot make that decision," she said finally.

"Then I will make it for you," Masca said crouching low.

All the other wolves crouched low and waited for the signal, their bodies' tense and their jaws slightly opened. The Alpha wolf stopped suddenly and sniffed the air, his tail erect and his ears pointed up. Balto and his siblings looked around as the other wolves began to sniff the air. Thunder crackled and the great Masca fell to his side, blood trickling out of the large bullet hole in his neck. Howls went up and chaos took place as dogs charged into the clearing and rushed the startled wolf pack.

The wolf pack panicked at the sight of their fallen leader and attacked the dogs, biting and rolling around in the clearing. A loud crackle echoed through the woods and another wolf fell to the floor. The sound of the second gunshot brought Aniu back to her senses and she lowered herself onto her pups, her eyes frantically looking for a way out.

Balto trembled as he heard the wolves and dogs fighting all around him. Every now and then, a gunshot would go off and Balto would cringe at the sound, half-expecting to feel the bullet impale itself into him.

"Go! Now!" his mother yelled getting up.

Takoma was the first to get to his feet, and he chased after his mother with Aurora following close behind. Balto tried to get up but was too terrified to move. Takoma saw his brother lying in the middle of the fighting and rushed towards him, dashing in between wolves and dogs alike.

"Get up Balto!" he yelled pulling him to his feet.

Balto's legs finally began working and the two struggled to get out of the fighting. One dog had managed to grab hold of a wolf's neck, and rolled over to his side causing the bone to break. Balto and Takoma froze as the dog turned around and spotted the two pups, his lips curled back revealing blood-stained teeth. The dog slowly approached the two pups before being knocked over by a white she-wolf.

"Go!" Aniu said slashing her claws. "Find you sister!"

"This way!" Takoma yelled, pulling Balto away from the fighting and out of the clearing.

The sound of dogs and wolves fighting along with the occasional gunshot echoed throughout the forest. Takoma led his brother further and further away from the fighting, the barks and snarls growing softer. Balto didn't know where he was running or where his sister was, but he knew where his mother was and that was what worried him the most.

"Aurora!" Takoma called out. "Aurora where are you?"

"I'm here," a small voice cried out. The two pups stopped running and searched around for the source of the voice. Balto stuck his nose in the air and sniffed, the scent of his sister strong in the air. He quickly followed it to an upturned pine tree, where he found her hiding under the roots.

"I was so scared," she said trembling. "After Takoma went back to find you, mom put me in here and ran off."

"She helped me and Balto escape," Takoma said sitting down. "She fought off this big dog that tried to kill us."

The three pups huddled close under the tree and waited, the sound of fighting dogs and wolves still faintly echoing through the air. Slowly the fighting faded into silence and the forest slipped back into its frozen state. Balto looked earnestly for their mother to come running towards them, his eyes searching frantically through the dark.

Minutes went by...then hours...and still the three pups hid under the dead tree.

"What's taking her so long?" Aurora said weakly.

"I don't...I don't know," Takoma began pacing back and forth. "I don't know what to do."

"What if she doesn't come back?"

"Of course she's coming back!" Takoma yelled facing his sister. "She has too!"

"Takoma, we've been waiting for hours. Mom would have come back by now unless-"

"Shut up!"

The gray colored pup rammed into his sister's side and knocked her over, his teeth bared as he stood over her. Aurora gave out a yelp and kicked out her feet, Takoma growling as he stumbled back off her. The two quickly got up to their feet and faced each other, Takoma's fur standing up as he growled.

"Stop it!"

Both pups froze and looked at their brother, tears running down his face as he sat in the corner.

"Please stop fighting," Balto whimpered.

Aurora was the first to walk up and comfort her brother, her eyes closed as she tried desperately not to cry. She looked up at Takoma, who was pacing back and forth with his head held down. His teeth were pulled back into a snarl as a thin line of tears rolled down his face.

"This is all my fault," he said angrily.

"No Takoma," Aurora said standing up. "I went out too. It's my fault too."

"I got us lost though. I led us right into the human and almost got us all killed."

The gray pup laid on the ground and placed his paws over his face, his body trembling from the cold snow. Aurora walked over and laid down next to Tacoma, pressing her body next to his to keep him warm. Balto followed his sister's lead and laid on the other side of Aurora; three miserable pups waiting desperately for their mother to return.


End file.
